


Skyscraper

by AuraSweet13



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 08:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5410652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraSweet13/pseuds/AuraSweet13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Red doesn't manage to save Samar when they get to the boat. Now it's up to them to find her before it's too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Samar Navabi couldn't believe this was happening. Her brother was the terrorist they had been after for so long? Her sweet, innocent little brother. Now, so many innocent people were dead, Levi was on the ground bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his shoulder, and she was trying desperately to stop the blood flow with her jacket, while her brother-Hasaan-and one of his lackeys stood over them, pointing guns.

"Samar, what did you do?" Hasaan asked, and she didn't dignify him an answer.

"Hasaan, we have to go." One of his lackeys said. "They have agents preparing to enter." Those words made Samar's heart soar. Help was coming, they were so close to rescue!

The sound of gunfire definitely caught her attention. Unfortunately, it also caught the attention of Hasaan and his two henchmen. "All our plans, and we're left with nothing!" An unfamiliar voice spoke, and she barely resisted the urge to startle as a hand came down on her shoulder and pulled her slightly back. "Kill her and be done with it." Fear flooded through her and she glanced up at Shahin out of pure reflex, trying to find any indication that her little brother was still there, in the body of this monster. He was looking back at her.

"No." He said, and that was that. "She's Mossad. Information we need is in her head." Oh, that was why he wasn't killing her.  _I don't know why I expected anything else._ Samar thought dully. Swallowing, she turned her gaze back to Levi. She didn't know if it could be seen that she was scared, but the look Levi was giving her made her think that he could see it. But she wouldn't be surprised, he had always known her better than a lot of other people ever had. His hand on top of hers kept her grounded. "He will be dead within the hour."  _No._ The thought, along with her brother's words, made her feel like the breath had been knocked from her lungs. More than anything, Samar wanted this to be a dream, an awful nightmare that she would wake up from any second. The feeling of warm blood soaking through her jacket and getting on her hands, and the feeling of Levi's warm hand over top of hers, however, made it clear that this was very real. Samar could vaguely hear people, FBI, probably, in the building, but she still didn't take her eyes off of Levi. "We take her with us." Hasaan spoke coldly, and then the two lackeys were grabbing her and hauling her up, away from Levi, who still had her jacket on his chest.

His blood was on the backs of her hands, and on her palms, decorating them like henna.

 

Levi felt numb. He knew he should feel pain, but maybe he had gone into shock. Not just the shock from the gunshot wound, but also from Samar being unceremoniously snatched away from him after he'd just gotten her back. The fear on her face as she was dragged away was imprinted on his brain. He could hear people, voices, and in that moment, he didn't think about the pain he was in. The sooner he got them in here, the sooner they could help Samar. Using all of his strength, he opened his mouth. "I'm in here!" Footsteps ran into the room to help him.

"Call 911." One of the men who had entered said as he moved to staunch the blood flow, in the same spot where Samar had been only minutes earlier.

"Ressler." Levi got out when he saw him. "They're gone." He said once Ressler was looking at him.

"Where's Samar?" He could see a flicker of concern on his face.

"They took her with them." Levi said. And he knew that once they had the information they wanted from her, she was as good as dead.

 

Samar could barely breathe as she was hauled through the building she used to consider her old home. No one said a word, probably because they didn't want to risk being caught, and she didn't say a word because she had no desire to have a bullet in her back, where the muzzle of a gun was currently pressing. But that could also be due to the fact that her hands were bound in front of her. When they passed by the window, she tried not to look at the bodies that were strewn on the ground, but that didn't stop her from seeing the white wall painted red with sprays of blood from her peripheral vision. They reached a white van and the doors were opened. She was hauled up into it and planted down on one of the seats, while the man with the gun settled in beside her.

They must have been driving for half an hour, at least, maybe a little less. Samar spent the entire drive looking out the window and hoping to whoever was listening that she survived this ordeal. If anyone even was listening. People a lot more religious than her had been killed in the safe house.

The man sitting beside her placed his hand on her thigh, and her skin crawled. Samar made a vow that if his hand got any higher, she'd do something about it.  But it didn't, just stayed there.

The vehicle stopped, and she was, again, hauled out. But this time, it wasn't the man with the gun who grabbed her arm and dragged her along, it was Shahin. At this point, Samar didn't think there was anything she could do to get out of her current situation. But didn't she at least deserve to know what the hell had happened to him?

"There's nothing noble about what you're doing, Shahin. Our parents would be ashamed." She murmured as they walked towards the boat.

Shahin didn't hesitate as he looked back at her. "Our parents had no shame. They were cowards." Then he faced forward again, and Samar felt her eyes narrowing.

"How can you say that? They died for speaking the truth." As Samar said this, she leaned closer to him. Shahin hadn't seen their bodies. She'd stopped that from happening.

Shahin yanked her slightly forward and kept walking. She knew they were heading towards a large white boat, but she didn't take her eyes off him, even if he wasn't looking at her. Although he did glance at her as he spoke. "You've been fooled. Turned your back on Iran, joined Mossad."

Rage flared up in her. He was the terrorist, but  _she_  had turned her back on Iran? "Shahin, they killed our parents!" She snapped, glad to have anger to replace the crippling fear she currently felt in that moment.

This time he did look at her as he spoke, but she wished he hadn't. "Our parents brought death upon themselves, and we suffered for it! They betrayed us, betrayed our country." Again, he yanked her forward. Clearly she wasn't moving fast enough for him. Or maybe he was just angry.

She felt like her heart had come to a sudden stop in her chest as she thought back to what he'd told her in the box. "The Pishin bombing..." She murmured. Samar knew she should be surprised, but she wasn't. Just disappointed. He was looking at her now. "It was you."

Shahin faced forward. "That was the day I became the righteous warrior Zal." Even though he wasn't looking at her, she could still see his face. He looked proud of what he had done. Hell, maybe he was. "Now, you have two options. Either you walk onto the boat by yourself like a good little girl, or I drag you onto it." He said as he let her go.

The urge to run nearly overwhelmed her. But she stamped it down almost immediately. She was unarmed, and they weren't, and she had no doubts that they'd shoot her if she tried.  _Maybe not. They need information from you._ Her conscience reminded her.

Information she had no intention of giving to them.

Swallowing, she started up the ramp onto the boat, trying to ignore the deep ache of fear and loss in her chest.

 

Levi Shur's only consolation was that Donald Ressler seemed to be as rattled by Samar's abduction as he himself was. He listened to Ressler tell the rest of the men in the building that they needed to find her, as he was put onto a stretcher and taken towards the ambulance, and he wished so badly that he could be out there helping search for her.

"Agent Shur." He looked over as Ressler approached him. "We're going to find her."

"You know they'll kill her as soon as they get what they want from her." He didn't even want to think about that, but he knew it was true.

"We'll find her before that happens." Ressler insisted, but Levi had always been good at reading people. Therefore, he saw the doubt on Ressler's face as he turned and walked away.

Ressler may have given up hope, but Levi refused. So, lying there in the ambulance, he closed his eyes, and began to pray for her safety.


	2. Chapter 2

The boat was moving now. Where, she didn't know. Nobody would tell her, not that she expected them to. She was their prisoner, after all. Her hands, still bound, hurt, the binding starting to bite into the soft skin of her wrists. They had been unbound for a minute or so, but only so she could be restrained against a pipe with handcuffs. She was almost certain that they were Levi's, if the blood on them was any indication.

 _Levi._ Her heart hurt just thinking of him. She could almost still feel his lips on hers, his hand cupping her cheek. She hoped that whoever had come to help them had gotten to him, and that he wasn't dead, like Hasaan-she had to make a conscious effort not to refer to him as her brother-speculated. She'd lost so many people already.

But she pushed those thoughts away and took inventory of herself. Though her hands were bound snugly against the pole, her legs were free. The handcuffs didn't give her enough slack to do anything, however, which she kind of supposed was the point. The pole was cold on her bare arms, and every so often, she shivered.

 _I'm going to die here._ The thought was so sudden and intrusive she didn't have time to stop it.

She was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps on the concrete floor. And then she was face to face with Shahin, or Hassan, or whoever he was. "This would go a lot more smoothly for you if you would just tell us what we want to know, sister." The youthful expression on his face made him almost look like her brother again. But she knew better, now. He'd played her one too many times today, and she wouldn't fall for it again. Ever.

Samar's eyes narrowed. She knew exactly what he wanted, he wanted names. But she wouldn't give them to him. "Never."

He stopped smiling then, his expression hardening so suddenly that she wondered how she had ever thought her brother was still in there. "You're stubborn, just like your boyfriend. But don't worry, we have all the time in the world now." He gave a clearly fake, sickly sweet smile and then left the room, leaving her there by herself. Angry tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away. There was no way she was crying if she could help it. Someone would come for her. She just had to hold out.

 

Levi Shur hated hospitals. But especially so when he knew someone he cared about was in danger. And Samar's situation was life or death. He'd been listening when they thought he was asleep.

They couldn't find her.

They. couldn't. find. her.

It was like she'd dropped off the face of the Earth altogether. And that scared him. Because they had no idea if she was alive, or dead. He had faith she wouldn't give them the information, but he wouldn't be surprised if they used whatever methods necessary to get the information out of her.  _Be strong, Sammy._ He thought desperately.

 

Samar's body was aching from being in one position for so long, especially her arms. At least her legs were unrestrained so she could stretch them. But her arms and her wrists tingled. She wouldn't be surprised if they'd fallen asleep. She still didn't know what time it was. The only indication that it was later than it had been when she was taken from the safe house was the fact that her stomach hurt from the lack of food in it.

When was the last time she'd eaten? She genuinely couldn't remember. She'd been so caught up in the Zal Bin Hasaan case that food hadn't even been on her mind. But now that it was over, now that she was being held prisoner on a boat by the man she had spent years hunting, it was all she could focus on.

But she refused to show that weakness so early on. The human body could survive for days without food. She struggled against her bindings, wondering how much strength she'd need to break the handcuffs. Levi would understand. She tried to pull them apart, but they held firm. Not that she'd expected anything less, it wasn't as if they were toy handcuffs.

Baldy came into the room in that moment, smirking at her as she struggled. "Are you ready to behave yet, gorgeous?"

"When I get out of here, remind me to put a bullet in your head." She countered savagely. Not that she'd need reminding.

Instead of being intimidated, however, Baldy just laughed. He stepped towards her, sidestepping when she struck out with her legs. His hand clasped her face, and she barely held back a wince as his fingers dug into her chin. "I'll take that as a no." He knelt down so he was eye level with her. "Hasaan will grow tired of your stubbornness. Familial ties or not, your refusal to give us the answers we want will eventually result in your demise. No one will come looking for you. So I hope you're comfortable, Ms. Navabi." He stood up and released her face, backing away from her. "Because this will be your final resting place." Then he left the room, and she continued trying to struggle out of her restraints. Dying so early on in her life wasn't something she relished the thought of. Especially not on a cold boat heading God knew where.

She had no way to keep time, but it had very obviously been a few hours since she was forced onto the boat. The lights in the boat were white, and made the room look even more unforgiving than it already did. She leaned her head back against the pole, eyes starting to close. But she forced them open and found herself looking at the moon through a window on the roof. At least that hadn't changed. The thought was a small comfort, especially considering how much everything else  _had_.

 

"The FBI only searched trains and cars." Levi said into the phone, which he'd had a nurse bring him despite her disapproving looks. "I need you to look through every mode of transportation from Georgetown to Washington. Boats, planes." It had occurred to him that it would only take a few hours by plane to get her out of the country. And if that happened, he didn't think they'd ever find her. But at least they could have a starting point.

"She could already be gone, Levi." Another male voice said on the other end of the line.

"I'm well aware of that. Look anyway." He snapped, but then softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"I understand. You still love her, so the fact that you can't do anything is driving you crazy." Levi smiled sadly, though the other man couldn't see it. "I'll get on that immediately."

"Thanks, little brother." Levi told him. "Call me with any information you have." After his brother, Isaiah, said goodbye, he hung up and put the phone on the side table. Laying back in the bed, he considered the day's events.

He'd been so surprised to see her again, but the surprise had quickly given way to a joy he'd never known before. And then she was hugging him, and he was certain he was dreaming. But he wasn't. He was awake, and she was in his arms again.

He'd missed her so much. And shortly after he'd gotten her back, the world had taken her away again. That was why he was so desperate to find her. Well, one of many reasons. He couldn't lose her again, he wouldn't.

Before stitching up his wound and bandaging it, they'd taken Samar's jacket off him. But, despite it being covered in his blood, he refused to let them get rid of it. His gaze went to the chair beside his bed, where the jacket lay over the head rest. The blood was dried now. All he could think as he looked at it was  _She must be cold without it._ It wasn't the thickest jacket, but he knew that under it she only had on her white tank top. So she would undoubtedly be warmer with it on than without. The fact that he had no idea what was happening to her right now was slowly driving him insane. They wanted to keep him here for a few days, but he would need to see if he could get that time reduced. The sooner he got out of here, the sooner he could start looking for her himself, and mourning for the people who were killed as a result of Hasaan.  _I promise you, Sammy, I will get you back._

Samar's stomach growled. It had only just recently started doing that, but she knew if Hasaan or one of his henchmen heard it, they'd have a field day. She was exhausted, but even attempting to sleep in her current situation was not an option. Even so, however, she could barely keep her eyes open, and finally let them close. Her mind fought with her body, because she knew falling asleep wasn't a good idea. But she was so tired that she couldn't help it.


	3. Chapter 3

The smell of food roused her, and so did the grumbling of her stomach. She opened her eyes and found Hasaan and his henchmen seated around a table she was certain hadn't been there upon her going to sleep, eating food. Real food.

"Sleeping Beauty's awake." Baldy said, and her eyes narrowed at the nickname, mouth pressing into a line. "Hey there, gorgeous, nice of you to join us." His tone was mocking and caused her hands to clench into fists despite her handcuffs. "This is good food, you should have some. Oh wait, you can't." He taunted, and the rest of the men at the table with him burst into raucous laughter. All of them, that is, except Shahin. He just watched her with an expressionless face.

"I'm not a dog. Stop baiting me." Her angry tone echoed around the room slightly. "Where the hell are you taking me?"

"That's need to know." Baldy responded. Then he went back to eating. Samar closed her eyes so she didn't have to watch them eat. And despite knowing it was damn near futile, she continued trying to break the handcuffs. She heard their voices, heard their chairs moving about, and wondered if they were leaving the room. But she didn't open her eyes to find out. Was it too much to hope that this whole thing was a terrible dream, and that when she woke up, things would be back to normal? Probably. She'd never been that lucky.

"Samar." Shahin's voice came from near her. Confused, she opened her eyes. He was a few steps away from her, and in his hands he held a plate of food. Bread, by the look of it, and a cup of water. A prisoner's meal. "You need to eat."

"Right." She said dryly, ignoring the way her stomach growled at the sight of the food. "Wouldn't want your hostage to starve, would you?" Samar didn't look away from him. "How dare you address me so casually after everything you've done. For God's sake, look at where we  _are_ right now, Shahin." She felt an almost sick rush of pride when he looked away first. "Oh, and another thing: It's going to be pretty difficult for me to eat with my hands cuffed around a pole. Unless you expect me to eat like an animal?" As if she would. She'd sooner starve than degrade herself like that.

"How do I know you won't lash out if I release your hands?" Shahin asked.

She didn't miss a beat, continuing to look at him, wishing her glare could burn a hole through him. "You don't."

Shahin's expression didn't change. "Rashid, get in here." He called, and she wondered vaguely which one of his henchmen that was. Baldy walked in, giving her a lecherous smile that she responded to with a death glare of her own. "I'm going to release her hands so she can eat and we don't lose our only source of intel to starvation. Your job is to stay in here with her and make sure she doesn't try anything." Then Shahin placed the tray down and walked around. Then she felt him unlocking the cuffs. And all the while, she watched Baldy-Rashid-with as predatory a look as she could muster. Was Shahin really that naive? Did he think Rashid stood a chance against her? Of course, she would eat first. Give him a false sense of security, and get herself some additional energy and strength, before pouncing. Once her hands were free, she immediately rubbed at her wrists and watched Shahin come back around. "Just call if you need anything." He said to Rashid before leaving the room.

Samar started to eat immediately, downing the cup of water almost instantly. When that was done, she pushed the tray away. Then she got to her feet. Rashid opened his mouth to call for backup, most likely, but she stopped him with a finger to her lips. "You really don't want to do that. Give me your gun."She told him.

"That's not happening, gorgeous." Rashid responded.

"Don't call me that." Samar told him, and then lashed out with her feet, knocking him off his and sending his gun spiraling across the floor. Immediately, she ran for it. Picking it up, she checked to make sure it was loaded. It was.

"Hasaan!" Rashid yelled out, and Samar instinctively kneecapped him before sneaking towards the entrance that had been just out of her reach for hours.

She'd barely stepped through it when she felt the cold barrel of a gun at her temple. "Don't." Shahin's voice sounded slightly like the brother she knew, and not like the terrorist he was.

"You can't kill me. You need me." She countered.

"You're right, we do need you." She could almost hear the smirk in his voice. Then suddenly, she felt a blow to the head and saw nothing but black.

 

Levi groaned in frustration and borderline anger as he turned off the TV. As he'd been expecting, there was nothing remotely interesting on. But even if there was, how could he be expected to focus on anything right now? Isaiah still hadn't gotten back to him with information about Samar, and he was better than anyone that Levi knew at finding the whereabouts of people.

A knock on the door make him look up. It wouldn't be a nurse or other medical professional, because they wouldn't knock. A man he didn't recognize stood there. His black hair was slightly spiked and, when he realized Levi was looking at him, he gave a very brief, awkward smile. "Agent Shur. I'm Agent Mojtabai. Agent Ressler asked me to come see how you were doing."

Levi didn't want to talk to anyone right now unless it was about Samar's location, but he did have manners. And it wasn't as if Samar being missing was Agent Mojtabai's fault. "Of course. Please, come in."

Agent Mojtabai entered the room and moved over to sit down in the chair by his bed. But he stopped, and Levi watched his eyes go to the jacket still draped over the headrest. "Is that...?" He swallowed. "Agent Navabi's jacket?"

Levi's brow rose at the obvious concern, that seemed to go past work partners. "Yes. The staff wanted to get rid of it when they loaded me into the ambulance, but I wouldn't let them."

"Good. That's, that's good." Aram moved to sit down. "So, uh, how did you know her? Work?"

Levi was leery of how much to share with this agent he didn't know at all. "That is how we met, yes." He confirmed with a nod. Aram kept glancing back to the jacket, the dark red patches of dried blood on it. "The blood is mine, by the way." He offered. "The jacket is hers, but the blood is mine. She wasn't hurt when they took her away." What he didn't say was  _But she might be now._ That wouldn't help either of them.

He watched Agent Mojtabai visibly exhale and relax. "That's good. That she wasn't hurt, I mean. Not that you were." Levi waved him off, to show he wasn't offended by the statement. "Agent Navabi, she's...she's like no one I've ever met before." Aram sat back, seeming more comfortable now that he knew the origins of the blood staining her jacket. "She's incredibly strong and dedicated, and brave. Half of the things she does, I couldn't even imagine doing them."

Levi nodded, smiling softly, fondly. "And don't even think about trying to tell her no, because it'll just make her resolve that much stronger. I pity the men who have her, because if I know Sammy, she'll make their lives hell."

Aram's brow rose. "Sammy?"

Levi shook his head. "An old nickname I had for her when we worked together. Old habits die hard." For whatever reason, he didn't want to share the real reason for that nickname with Aram. "Agent Mojtabai, I have men working on searching other modes of transportation, not just trains and cars. I trust these people with my life. If anyone can find her, traces of her, anything that can be used to find where she is, it's them."

Aram nodded. "Okay." He said, and then gestured at the TV. "Is there anything good on?"

Levi shook his head. "There wasn't when I looked." But, because he had nothing better to do, he turned on the TV once more, and found a football game that had just started. "Is football okay?" He looked over at Aram.

Aram nodded. "Football sounds great." And with those words, the two men, joined together by a common concern, watched the game in an amicable silence.

 

Samar woke to a throbbing in her temple, and she barely held in the groan that wanted nothing more than to escape as she opened her eyes. Shahin and all of his henchmen were in the room again, and all of them were staring blatantly at her. Her hands were handcuffed around the pole again, only this time she knew that they wouldn't be releasing her hands for any reason. "You're wasting your time." She got out. "I'm not going to tell you anything, you'd save yourselves a lot of time and trouble if you just let me go."

"It's your fault we no longer have the list we need to complete our plans." The other henchman, the one she'd taken to thinking of as 'Skinny', spat. "You're not going anywhere."

"What were you thinking, Samar?" Shahin-Hasaan, she had to remember that was what he went by now-asked, looking at her. "Even if you had escaped us, we are in the middle of the ocean right now. What were you planning to do? Swim back to D.C.?"

"If that's what it takes to get away from you." Samar responded, struggling against her bindings once more.

"From now on, one of us stays in the room with her at all times." Shahin said, directing it to the others, and he was met with nods. "Now, Samar, are you going to give us the information we need?"

"You should know the answer to that by now, Hasaan. It's the same as it has been since you took me hostage." Samar let the sarcasm drip from her tone. "Never."

"Who do you think you are, talking to him like that, you little bitch?" She glanced over as Rashid addressed her, noting the anger in his eyes. If she had her hands free, she could block the blow. Unfortunately, she didn't, so she was unprepared when his foot connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and forcing out the groan she'd been trying to keep in. She let her gaze fall to the floor as she tried to get her breath back. Finally, she looked up again and found Shahin glaring almost murderously at Rashid.

Shahin was looking at her again. "Do you need to relieve yourself?" He asked bluntly, not even trying to skirt around the subject. Then again, her brother never had.

She didn't want to let them know that, but she knew if she didn't, it would only hurt her in the end. So she nodded.

To say it was awkward would be an understatement. But at least they all had the decency to turn away. Once she was finished, she righted her clothes and helplessly let them bring her back over to the pole and restrain her again. Then they left her alone, and it was Skinny who stayed to guard her. She closed her eyes once more and, not for the first time, wished that this was all a terrible nightmare.


	4. Chapter 4

Every day that they failed to find her, Levi's hope dimmed. But it didn't go out, because he knew her. He knew how strong she was, how resilient. And he had faith that God wouldn't bring them back together only to separate them again. But not being able to do anything except watch bad television was starting to get to him.

So when his phone rang, he scrambled to get it. But not before checking the caller id and seeing that it was his brother. He quickly answered the phone. "Isaiah? What did you find?"

"Hi to you too." Isaiah responded and, though he couldn't see it, Levi rolled his eyes. "So, listen, I think I found out where they were taking Samar."

He didn't like the tone of his brother's voice. "Go on." Levi urged.

"In the pockets of the man she shot, back in the Georgetown safe house, I found a brochure. Levi, it was titled 'Jordan Tourist Attractions', though I sincerely doubt he was planning on using it."

He felt his blood run cold. "Jordan?" He remembered what the man had said before Samar shot him.

_We got the location from your men in Jordan._

And sure he'd meant the safe, but why wouldn't they head to Jordan after himself and Samar had destroyed the lists?

"Thanks, little brother." He said, and abruptly hung up. Then he made a different call. This time he spoke in Arabic.  _"Agent Darzi, it's Agent Shur. Listen to me, I need you and Agent Zaman to be on your guard, and call me immediately if anyone suspicious shows up there. There should be a small group of them, and they should have a woman with them."_ He got confirmation that they would.  _"Thank you."_ Then he hung up again and put his phone aside, his heart pounding viciously in his chest. His hope had brightened up significantly after both of those phone calls.

Now if only he could be discharged from the hospital so he could join the search.

He could almost hear Samar's voice in his head.  _Soon. For now, just rest. You've earned it._

He let the memory of her voice lull him to sleep.

 

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but if she had to guess, she would assume that it had been at least a week, or close to it anyway. There was no real indication of time save for the occasional moments when she would see the sun or the moon through that little window on the ceiling. They didn't let her starve and fed her every so often. Enough to keep her alive, but never enough to really sustain her, and as a result, she found that she was significantly weaker. Which was probably what they wanted, now that she thought about it.

Samar heard the engine shut off, and this immediately snapped her to attention. Were they stopping? Had they reached their destination? Her heart dropped into her stomach as Rashid and Shahin entered the room, and Rashid tossed a jacket at her while Shahin once again came around to release her hands. "Where are we?"

"Jordan." Shahin responded. "Put on the jacket Rashid just gave you."

Fear fluttered up in her so suddenly she was certain she'd choke on it. Jordan? That was a long way from Washington. Unable to do anything but comply, she put the jacket on and zipped it up. She hadn't realized how cold she had been until her arms were covered. Rashid dragged her to her feet and dragged her off the boat, and her legs were so stiff from disuse that she stumbled more than once.

It wasn't bright outside, because the sun was setting, but she still squinted at the abrupt change in light. She had a plan. It was hare-brained, and possibly a suicide mission, but she had to try. Once they were off the ramp, she elbowed Rashid sharply in the stomach, causing him to curse and let her go.

And then, she ran.

She didn't know where she was going, or what would happen if they caught up to her. She just knew she had to get the hell away from them.

 

Levi exhaled a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the hospital into the fresh air. He couldn't wait to have real food. But more than that, he couldn't wait to get searching for Samar. Neither Agent Darzi nor Agent Zaman had gotten back to him, which was worrying. But he knew that Jordan was a big city, with a large port. It would understandably take them a while. He hailed a cab and gave the driver directions to his brother's place. He had been planning to head back home after the case, before all of this happened. Now, however? He wasn't going anywhere until Samar was found, and safe.

 

Despite the jacket, Samar shivered as she hid in the alley, the darkness both unsettling and comforting. She was incredibly, inexplicably grateful for her dark hair, and the dark jacket Rashid had forced her to put on. It helped her blend in. Shahin and his men had long since given up looking for her, probably to turn in for the night. Or because they didn't want to strain their eyes. Whatever reason had caused them to halt their search, she wasn't about to take it for granted. But, where could she go? She'd been to a lot of places before, but Jordan wasn't one of them.

She made a decision in that moment, getting to her feet. The first house she came to that had a light on, she'd knock and ask them to give her shelter. It wasn't a foolproof plan, in fact there were many things wrong with it, but she didn't have any other ones. Cautiously, she made her way out of the alley and wandered down the street. The place was hard enough to navigate because she had never been there, but in the dark, paired with how weak she already was? It was damn near impossible.

After what felt like ages of walking, she found a house and walked up the stairs. Through the curtains, she could see faint but warm yellow light. Feeling slightly more renewed, she moved to stand on the porch. She reached out to knock, but her weakness and hunger instead made her fall forward against the door, as blackness once again surrounded her.

 

Levi shifted in his seat as the plane took to the sky. He knew he had to take a couple of different planes to get where he wanted to go, not to mention the layovers, but for her, it would be worth it. Just to see her face, see that she was alive. He was closer to finding her now than the FBI had been for the past week and a couple days, not that he was saying anything bad about them.

He couldn't wait to see her, to hold her in his arms. And once he had her in his arms, he wasn't letting her out of his sight. How could he?

This first flight wouldn't be so bad, only an hour and a half. It was the next two that he was worried about. But, again, she was more than worth it.

If she hadn't attempted to stop the blood flow with her jacket, the one that currently sat in his lap, serving as a pillow, he would've likely bled out a lot sooner.

 _That's the third time she's saved your ass._ His conscience pointed out, but he pushed it away. Looking out the window, he silently willed the time to go by faster so he could see her again.


	5. Chapter 5

Samar was brought back to the world of the conscious by the feeling of a damp cloth on her forehead, dabbing away sweat. Blearily, she opened her eyes. She was surrounded by warm, soft, yellow light. And people. From what she could discern, she was lying on a couch, and there were a man and a woman, plus two young kids in the room with her. The woman and the children were eyeing her with curiosity, the man was eyeing her with suspicion. The woman was the one currently dabbing sweat from her face. When she spoke, it was in Arabic.  _"You're not from around here, are you?"_

Samar was relieved that she could speak their language, thanks to Mossad. And her own studying, of course. She shook her head.  _"No, I'm not."_

 _"Then why are you here?"_ The man, whom Samar was assuming was the woman's husband, spoke up, but not before shooing the two children-a boy and a girl that reminded her more of herself and Shahin than she cared to admit-up the stairs. She was aware of the girl's eyes lingering on her even as she headed up the stairs.

Samar knew that lying to these people wasn't an option, not if she wanted to convince them to let her spend the night in their warm house instead of out in the street.  _"I work with both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mossad."_ She told them, watching their eyes widen.  _"During a mission, I was abducted from a safe house in Virginia, and held hostage on a boat for at least a week, but probably longer. When we docked here, I ran, and managed to lose them."_ She could see the man about to protest, so she hurriedly pressed on.  _"I don't want to put you or your family in danger. I just needed somewhere safe to spend the night. Just one night. Please."_ Samar was fully expecting them to turn her away. And she wouldn't have blamed them if they had-they should rightfully look out for each other, for their children, before they thought about the needs of a stranger, who could very well be lying to them.

 _"One night."_ The manacquiesced, surprising her.  _"We won't make a decision on anything else until morning."_

 _"Thank you."_  She said, her tone earnest. Samar watched the woman rise from her seat and head off somewhere, leaving her alone with the man. She didn't volunteer her name-if she was only staying for the night, she didn't see why it would matter. The woman came back shortly after with a blanket and pillow. She offered Samar a smile, and it took less than a second for Samar to return it.

 _"I hope you sleep comfortably while you're here."_ Samar could tell the woman meant it just from her tone.

 _"Thank you."_ Samar repeated, taking off her shoes and snuggling under the blankets. She wouldn't take off the sweater unless she got too warm during the night, for respect's sake.

 _"You're welcome."_  The woman told her, waiting until she was squared away before turning off the lamp and heading up the stairs with her husband. Samar lay there in the dark, alone again. But this time, she didn't fear for her life. Sure, she'd rather be safe at home in Washington, but she certainly wasn't about to complain about having somewhere warm to sleep. In fact, this was the safest she'd felt since this whole ordeal started. Closing her eyes, she had no problems falling asleep, and her thoughts were filled with Levi, and her team.

 

If his anxiety over Samar's well being didn't kill him, Levi was almost certain this layover would. It felt like it was taking forever. He tried not to let his impatience show, but despite his best efforts, he still found himself looking at the clock every five seconds.

Swallowing, he pulled out his phone and went into the Photos gallery. There, he accessed a folder he was certain no one knew he had, one he would take to his grave if he could help it.

It was a gallery of photos he had taken while him and Samar were together. He'd meant to delete them after she left him, but there were so many that he just couldn't bring himself to do so. Especially because of the memories they held. She was smiling in nearly every single one of them, the only reason she wasn't smiling in some was because she didn't know he was taking them.

"She's pretty." Startling, he glanced over at the little old woman that had sat down beside him.

Levi was unable to stop himself from smiling as he nodded. "Yeah, she is."

"Is that who you're going to see?" The woman asked.

It was certainly easier than disclosing the real reason. Besides, he hopefully would see her. "That's the plan. She doesn't know I'm coming, though. We're not exactly together anymore. She ended things a while ago."

"You still love her." The woman said. Speechless, he nodded. "Well, then, take it from an old timer like me. You need to tell her that when you see her again. Because you will never forgive yourself if you don't get the chance."

"Believe me, I intend to." Levi told her, only aware of how much he meant it after the words left his mouth. When the time came to board, he walked onto the plane, already mentally crafting what he would say when he saw her again, though he still had a ways to go before he arrived there.

 

When Samar woke up, she didn't know where she was. And then she remembered the night before. Slowly, she sat up, glad she'd left the sweater on for modesty, hearing the sound of a hushed conversation coming from the kitchen. Though she knew she should just leave now, her curiosity-and hunger-prompted her to head towards the kitchen.

 _"She can't stay here, Alia."_ The man's voice was easily distinguishable.

 _"We can't just force her out onto the street, Fikri."_ The woman's, Alia, was less so, but by no means faded into the background.

 _"Why not?"_ Fikri asked, and though Samar didn't blame his distrust, the speed with which he'd throw her out was nothing short of terrifying.

 _"Because it wouldn't be right."_ Alia looked up in that moment, and her eyes fell on Samar. She flushed and looked away as she was caught listening to the exchange.  _"How much of that did you hear?"_

Again, Samar felt the urge to lie.  _"Just the end."_ She said, and the lie stung. But it was a small one.  _"I just wanted to say thank you before I left."_

 _"You're leaving now?"_ Fikri sounded surprised.

 _"I only needed one night and somewhere safe to sleep."_ She responded.  _"I meant what I said last night, I don't want to put you or your family in danger by being here longer than necessary."_

 _"But what are you planning to do once you leave here?"_ Alia asked.  _"Do you have anything? Money, clothes?"_

Samar gave a weak smile.  _"No, ma'am. Just me and the clothes on my back."_

The woman got a contemplative look on her face.  _"Wait here."_ And then she was heading out of the kitchen, up the stairs by the look of things, leaving Samar alone with Fikri. Samar knew she was dressed fine, but she still felt mildly uncomfortable around Fikri. Luckily, however, she didn't have to wait long before Alia was coming back with a bag in her hand.  _"There you are. Almost a week's worth of clothes, an extra toothbrush. I don't know how long it'll take you to get back where you want to go, but hopefully that will help you out."_ She said, and handed Samar the bag.

Samar blinked, startled.  _"Thank you, ma'am."_ She slung the bag over her shoulder and headed towards the door. Turning back, she gave Alia a smile and nodded at Fikri before opening the door and stepping outside.

 

As soon as the plane landed in Aqaba and the seatbelt sign was turned off, Levi almost literally jumped out of his seat. The nine hour, five minute layover in Amman had been absolute hell. As had the almost ten and a half hour flight from New York to Amman.

But he was here now. He grabbed the small bag he'd brought with him and hustled off the plane. And as he stepped into the airport, it occurred to him that he had no idea where to look for her, or Hasaan and his men for that matter. He pulled out his phone and called Agent Zaman's number. It wasn't long before he pulled up to the airport. From here, Levi would go with them to Agent Zaman's-Asad-house, and they would attempt to find Hasaan, and hopefully find Samar in the process.


	6. Chapter 6

Samar was careful, stealthy. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew that she had to get back to DC as soon as possible if she ever wanted to feel safe again. How she was going to do that, she hadn't yet figured out.

The second hands grabbed her, her mind went into panic mode. She began to struggle viciously. "Agent Navabi, stop." She heard a soft, calm voice in her ear and recognized it almost instantly.

"Dembe?" She whispered and let him turn her around so they were looking at each other. Sure enough, it was him, and the sight of a familiar face almost made her lose it completely. "Where's Reddington?" Because if Dembe was here, Red had to be too. "How did you find me?"

"Raymond is nearby. Come with me." Dembe told her, and she followed him. She was so close to safety she could almost taste it.

 

Levi and Agent Zaman stood facing two bodies in an alley. He recognized them to be two of Hasaan's henchmen. But he'd had three in the Georgetown safe house. That meant that both him and one of his henchmen were still out there somewhere, which meant that Samar was still in danger.

"Who could've done this?" Asad's words jolted him out of his thoughts. That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? Although, he personally could think of one he wanted answered more: where is Samar? "Do we have an ally?"

Levi shook his head. He knew full well things weren't nearly that black and white. "I'd say Hasaan has an enemy, which isn't the same thing as us having an ally." He countered. "Let's see if we can find anything else." He kept on walking, feeling like he was so close to Samar he would be able to reach out and touch her soon.

He'd be damned if he stopped anytime soon.

 

Samar came out of the bathroom, drying off her hair as she did so, dressed in fresh clothes from the bag Alia had given her. "How do you feel, Samar?" Red asked.

"I feel great." She said as she stretched, and he smiled in response.

"I'm glad to hear it. You've been through quite an ordeal." Red was one of the few people she considered her friend.

"So, what's the plan now?" She asked as she walked over to sit down at the table with himself and Dembe.

"Now we get you back to DC, my dear." Red met her gaze.

"But Hasaan is still out there. We need to eliminate him before he hurts anyone else." Samar hated the idea of him hurting anyone else.

"Well, Dembe and I took care of two of his henchmen to find you, so all we need to do is find Hasaan and his other man." Red spoke simply. "You have two options, my dear. You can relax and take a much needed, well deserved period of rest..."

"Not going to happen. What's the second option?" Samar's response was immediate.

A smirk came to Reddington's face. "Or you can help us track them down."

"Sounds good. The sooner we can find them, the better." Samar looked at them. "But first, do either one of you have a phone I could use? I need to make a call."

 

Levi stopped dead in his tracks when his phone rang. Pulling it from his pocket, he looked at the caller ID. Despite the fact that he didn't recognize the number, he felt surprisingly calm. He accepted the call and held the phone to his ear. "Yes?"

"I've missed hearing your voice." He recognized the voice on the other end of the line almost instantaneously, and his relief threatened to suffocate him.

"Samar." He breathed, leaning back against the wall. "You're okay."

If he were to close his eyes, he could almost picture her nodding. "I'm okay. You're alive."

"The paramedics, the FBI and SWAT showed up shortly after..." He felt his throat close up as he thought about that day, which felt like forever ago now. Swallowing hard, he composed himself and spoke again. "Shortly after Hasaan and his men took you. Where are you? Are you safe?" The elderly woman from the airport flashed into his mind, her words ringing in his ears.  _"You still love her. Well, then, take it from an old timer like me. You need to tell her that when you see her again. Because you will never forgive yourself if you don't get the chance."_

"Yes, I'm safe." Samar told him, and he exhaled a sigh of relief. "But I'm going out to hunt for Hasaan soon. I know he's here-I'm in Jordan. What about you? Are you safe?"

"Trust me, I'm perfectly safe." Levi told her. Did he tell her? Well, what did he have to lose? "As a matter of fact, I'm here in Jordan, too."

The pause on the other end of the line felt like it spanned hours, though it had probably only been seconds. "Really?"

Even though she couldn't see it, he nodded. "Yeah. Landed here yesterday. You should tell me where you are, we can look for him together."

He could faintly hear her voice talking to someone, who he assumed was in the room with her, but he couldn't make out what she or the person she was talking to were saying. But then she spoke. "Okay. I'm going to hang up now, but I'll text you the address. See you soon." Then there was a beep, signalling that the call had ended, followed by a text with an address. His heart pounded in his chest as he moved over to hail a cab. He'd see her soon. Levi was both half excited by that fact, and half terrified.

 

"And you're sure you're okay with me giving him the address?" Samar asked as she glanced over at Red, who honestly looked more amused than anything else.

"My dear, if I wasn't, I wouldn't have given you the go ahead." He drawled. "But you, on the other hand, don't look certain at all. I'm willing to bet the man you called is more than just a former field partner of yours."

And as usual, Reddington had hit the nail on the head. "He's my ex-boyfriend." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. She really didn't want to get into this with him. Especially not since Levi would be here any minute.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but there was a knock at the door before he could. Relieved, Samar walked purposefully to the door, ignoring the way her heart felt like it was in her throat, and answered it.

Levi stood there, as she had been expecting. They looked at each other for a few brief moments and then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. A gesture which he returned in almost the same moment. They'd never needed many words when they were together, and it seemed that even though they were no longer in a relationship, that hadn't changed. She resisted the urge to bury her face in his shoulder, but she could still smell his aftershave. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He breathed in her ear.

Samar tried not to shiver at the feeling of his breath on her ear. "You too." She said, meaning every syllable. "Come on in." She murmured, pulling back and going back into the house. He followed her, she knew this because she heard the door close. Things were too quiet and she turned to look at him. In the next moment, she realized that he wasn't speaking because he was looking past her.

At Reddington.

Samar tensed up, getting ready to do damage control. "Levi Shur, this is..."

"Raymond Reddington." Levi finished for her. His voice was calm, but the expression on his face was wary. Not that Samar could blame him.

"My reputation precedes me, it would seem." Red's tone was infuriatingly casual-than again, wasn't it always?

"All right." Though a fight wasn't breaking out, not that she thought it would, given how calm both Red and Levi were, Samar still wanted to catch Hasaan as soon as possible. "So, do either one of you have a plan for finding Hasaan?" She sighed when both men stayed silent. "Well, luckily for you guys, I do."

"What is it?" Red asked. The look Levi was giving her made her doubt her plan. But they didn't seem to have any better ones.

"It's simple, really." Her tone was matter-of-fact. "I'm the one he wants, so use me as bait."

"No way." As she was expecting, Levi instantly protested.

"We don't have any other ideas, Levi." Samar tuned to look at him, completely ignoring Red for the time being. "You and any men either of you gentlemen have can be right nearby to make sure nothing happens."

Levi shook his head. "It's too risky, Samar. I don't doubt that you can handle yourself, but I..."

"You what?" She asked, feeling mildly annoyed with him.

"I can't lose you again." Levi said, and her mouth made an 'o' shape. "Every time I get you back, it seems like I lose you again. And I don't think I could handle that."

Samar knew Red and Dembe were in the room, but Levi's words had touched her. This time, it was her who kissed him first. She felt him kiss her back, felt his arms encircle her waist to keep her close. When she broke for air, she looked at Levi. "Trust me, I don't like the thought of using myself as bait any more than you do, but it's the best" and only, but that was beside the point. "plan we have."

Levi nodded. "Okay." He stroked his fingers over her cheek, and then the pair of them turned to face Red and Dembe.

"Well, then, let's get planning, shall we?" Red asked, and the four of them got to work.


	7. Chapter 7

Samar stood out in the open, pretending to read a newspaper that Levi had given her before they'd dropped her off. If Hasaan was still looking for her, and she had a sneaking suspicion he was, he would find her soon enough. As the days went on, and she considered everything he'd done, it became easier to separate the little boy he had been from the monster he was now. She knew both Levi and Red were somewhere in the vicinity, keeping watch over where she stood, which was probably the only thing that kept her from losing her nerve. There was no guarantee that Hasaan would leave her alive if he saw her again. So, if that was the case, she just hoped Levi and Red could put him down before he killed her.

"There you are." Swallowing hard, she looked up and her eyes met those of Hasaan's. If she thought he looked unforgiving on the boat, she damn well knew it now. "You've given us a lot of trouble, sister." Her gaze went to the gun in his hands as he cocked it. "That ends now." Then he lifted the gun, and she braced herself.

But then she heard another gun cock and opened her eyes to find Levi there, along with several other men she recognized from her Mossad days, gun raised and pointed at Hasaan. "You're right." She was pleasantly surprised when her voice came out clear. "This does end now." She looked at the men and gave them a nod. Soon, they were cuffing Hasaan and taking him away. She turned to Levi. "I'm glad you were here. I'm glad you came here at all."

"Of course." The way Levi was looking at her was so intense, she almost looked away. "Come on, let's head back to the house where Reddington was holed up. Mossad will take care of him."

"Are you going to accompany me on the flight back to DC?" Samar asked, and she was only mildly surprised by how much she wanted him to say yes.

Levi grinned at her, and it was so infectious that she couldn't help grinning back. "Just try and stop me, Navabi." His grin only widened as she laughed, and the pair of them headed back in the direction they had come, from Red's safe house.

 

Samar sat next to Levi on the plane. They were heading back to DC, and she was more than a little relieved. D.C. meant her own bed, her own clothes, her own life. All of those were good things.

So why did she feel unsatisfied?

"What are your plans when we get back to D.C.?" She asked, turning to face Levi. Maybe the unsatisfied feeling had to do with the man sitting beside her in that moment. So much had been left unsaid between them before Hasaan came in and ruined it all.

"Well...I'll probably need to do damage control back at our facility. But other than that, I don't really have any plans." Levi looked out the window and then back at her. "Why do you ask?"

Samar shrugged. And then, before she could stop them, words came tumbling out. "After you do that, you could come back to my apartment with me. Figure out what you want to do."

Levi nodded. "Okay. That sounds good." And then he smiled, in that way she hadn't seen since the two of them were romantically together. The same smile that caused her heart to jolt in her chest, and she looked away from him as a result, scared her emotions would give her away. The rest of the plane ride was spent in silence, although her fingers clasped around his almost unconsciously. And she smiled as he squeezed her hand.

 

"Nice place." He said as they entered her apartment. She couldn't help but scoff a little, knowing it wasn't nearly as personal as it could be. But it worked for her.

"Make yourself comfortable." She told him as she walked to the refrigerator to get herself something to drink. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Just water." He said, and she nodded, then got two glasses and filled them both with water. Walking over with them in her hands and set them on the coffee table before sitting down beside him. "I'm really glad you're okay, Sammy." He murmured, and she smiled gently as she reached for her water glass.

"I'm pretty glad about that myself." She offered, and he laughed in response. Samar took a drink from her glass, and then set it down before speaking. "But also that you're not dead. When they dragged me from that building, and left you bleeding on the floor...I was so scared, Levi."

"The FBI showed up maybe seconds after you were taken." Levi reached for her hand, and she let him, threading their fingers together. "I was more worried for you. And then when the days came and went, and they still couldn't find you...They assumed the worst."

Her brow rose. The use of 'they assumed the worst' surprised her. "You didn't?"

Levi shook his head. "No. I had faith that you weren't dead."

"You always were the more religious one out of the two of us." She murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her.

"I had to believe that there was a reason we were reunited after so long." Levi dared to press a kiss to her temple. She tensed up, but didn't pull away, so he assumed it was all right. "I thought that maybe we could...work on our relationship. Try again."

"I'd like that." Samar pulled back to look at him. "The whole time I was being held captive, I thought of you. And how you would come for me as soon as you were able, if you were alive. And I didn't realize how much I missed you until I almost lost you." And this time it was her who kissed him, though he still cupped her face like he had in the covert source record room. And this time, he knew they wouldn't be interrupted. "You know, this apartment building has a vacancy." She said when they broke for air.

His brow rose, and he felt a smirk come to his face. "Oh? Is that so?"

She smirked, too, and it was one of the prettiest expressions he'd ever seen on her face. "Mhm. Think you'd be interested? I mean, it's not Virginia, but D.C. has its perks."

"Washington is definitely growing on me." He said, and then he kissed her again. And for the first time in almost a week and a half, she felt really, genuinely safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally it's done. This last chapter gave me hell. Hope you guys enjoy it!


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